Hearing their conversation, Chen Yi frowned slightly but continued to follow without missing a step.

As he walked, he took off his long robe and stuffed it into his clothes.

’There are only a few residences behind the Hui Xian Building. If someone was nearby that night, they definitely could have heard something, or seen those people... and me.’

If it were just an ordinary citizen, there would be nothing to fear.

The real fear was that this was someone with ulterior motives who had been bribed or was an imposter, all to draw the Imprisonment Department’s attention.

Chen Yi changed into combat attire and covered his face with a black cloth.

He silently concealed his figure in the shadows, following the Imprisonment Officers from a distance.

As he watched them move through the dim alley, a faint, fluorescent light flickered in his eyes.

One, two, three... six.

Among the six Imprisonment Officers.

The leader, a woman dressed in a crimson Official Robe, was a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist.

Another tall, thin Imprisonment Officer’s Cultivation had just barely reached the Eighth Grade Realm, while the Martial Arts Cultivation of the others was all in the Ninth Grade Realm.

After observing them, Chen Yi dismissed his Qi Observation Skill and thought to himself:

’The Martial Arts Cultivation of these Imprisonment Officers is secondary. What they rely on is the authority they possess to arrest and investigate cases.’

’But the key right now isn’t them. I need to see this so-called "murderer" who comes next.’

Before long, the Imprisonment Officers arrived in an alley beside the Hui Xian Building, where three people were already waiting.

By the light of the lanterns in their hands, Chen Yi could easily see that the three were not all Imprisonment Officers.

One of them was a simple-looking, middle-aged man wearing a short shirt made of coarse linen.

’He must be the one who provided the clue.’

After a quick look, Chen Yi scanned his surroundings, found a corner to hide himself in, and watched from a distance.

He heard the woman in red ask, "Is that him?"

A younger Imprisonment Officer beside her bowed and replied, "Hundred Households Fang, that’s him. He lives around here. His name is Sun Erhu."

Sun Erhu smiled obsequiously, bowing his head. "Greetings, my lady."

The woman in red looked at him calmly. "I am Fang Hongxiu of the Shu State Imprisonment Department. I need you to answer a few questions."

"Of course, of course. I’ll tell you everything I know."

"Tell me in detail everything you saw or heard that night."

"That night... it should have been before nightfall. I was coming back after buying some groceries from the West Market."

"Passing by here, I saw a burly man leaning against the wall, staring at me."

Fang Hongxiu raised her hand to interrupt him and motioned for an Imprisonment Officer at her side to take out a portrait. "Was it this person?"

Sun Erhu glanced at it. "Yes, yes, that’s him! With that brutish face, you can tell he’s no good."

"And then?"

"After that, I didn’t dare to look any longer and hurried back to my home."

"But the more I thought about it, the stranger it felt. After I got home, I kept an eye out, paying attention to the situation over here."

Sun Erhu gave a simple laugh. "My lady, to tell you the truth, I’m a coward. I was afraid those people would sneak into my house after dark."

Fang Hongxiu frowned slightly. Before she could speak, the young Imprisonment Officer beside her snapped, "Less nonsense!"

"Yes, yes..."

Sun Erhu paused, then hurriedly continued, "Later, not until it was completely dark, there was some commotion outside."

"I only heard that man say something about the Xiao Family. I didn’t hear clearly; I could only confirm I heard the words ’Xiao Family’."

"Continue. What else did you hear?"

"After that, an elderly-sounding voice said, ’Who are you people? What business do you have with this old man?’"

"Then the burly man said, ’My young master invites you...’"

Hearing this, Chen Yi knew he didn’t need to listen any further.

It was obvious. Aside from the fact that Liu Jing’s men had indeed appeared near the Hui Xian Building, the rest of his story was a complete fabrication.

Still, using such a method to lead the Imprisonment Department’s investigation toward the Xiao Family was truly a crude tactic.

’But the Hidden Guards aren’t the only ones who would use such a method.’

’The Liu Family, or anyone who wants to stir up conflict between the Xiao and Liu Families, are all suspects.’

Chen Yi couldn’t help but broaden his list of suspects.

After all, considering the methods of the Hidden Guards, this clumsy approach was too straightforward.

Not only was it unrefined, but it also wouldn’t hold up to scrutiny.

Just as he was pondering this, the evening wore on, and the sky became completely dark.

A gust of wind blew from an unknown direction.

Then, Fang Hongxiu was heard shouting, "Be careful!"

Before her voice had faded, a throwing dart shot past the Imprisonment Officers, pierced straight through Sun Erhu’s brow, and embedded itself in the wall beside him.

Fang Hongxiu’s expression changed drastically. She looked out of the alley. "Wang Han, you stay here and watch him! Everyone else, follow me!"

"..."

Watching the Imprisonment Officers run off after the woman in red, Chen Yi couldn’t help but reveal a self-deprecating smile.

’My bad premonitions are always the ones that come true. Now this looks like the work of the Hidden Guards.’

’You have to hand it to them, the mastermind behind this is truly vicious.’

’Using a dead man as bait to both implicate the Xiao Family and eliminate the witness—truly killing two birds with one stone.’

This way, even if the Imprisonment Department didn’t believe it, they would have no choice but to pay the Xiao Family a visit.

’If the mastermind were just a bit more ruthless...’

At this thought, the look in Chen Yi’s eyes changed, and he immediately chased after Fang Hongxiu and her group.

The Imprisonment Officer left behind saw his figure and froze for a moment.

When he came to his senses, he drew the long blade from his waist and was about to shout.

But in that single instant, Chen Yi was already at his side, his hand chopping down like a blade onto the man’s neck.

THUD.

After the Imprisonment Officer collapsed unconscious, Chen Yi glanced at Sun Erhu beside him.

Confirming he was dead, Chen Yi transformed into a black shadow and headed toward the West Market.

Fortunately, because of the commotion caused by the Imprisonment Department earlier, most of the pedestrians on the West Market’s streets were distracted, and few noticed him.

But nothing is ever certain.

At that moment, in a private room in the Hui Xian Building, two figures stood by the window, looking toward the West Market.

Naturally, they spotted Chen Yi in the crowd.

One of them said in surprise, "Miss, is that a member of the Xiao family?"

The other figure stared at Chen Yi, their eyes flickering slightly. After a long moment, they nodded.

"It should be."

But just as she finished speaking, another person in black appeared from a distance, moving far faster than the previous few.

After a moment’s pause.

"Miss, then this one is..."

"One of them should be from the Xiao Family. The other is perhaps from the Liu Family."

As she spoke, the figure at the window turned and walked out of the private room.

"Miss?"

"Let’s follow them and have a look."

"Since I’ve already agreed to help Gray Wolf, I need to see this through to the end."

「Inside Hundred Herbs Hall.」

Liu Lang, who had already closed up for the night, naturally heard the sounds from outside as well.

The Imprisonment Officers, in particular, who were shouting as they gave chase, prompted him to get up and watch the show from his window.

When he saw two figures in black run past, closely followed by the Imprisonment Officers, he couldn’t help but grin.

"Shu State City is quite chaotic tonight."

Of course, none of this had anything to do with him.

He was no longer the "Sword Madman" of the past, just an unknown, heavily injured Swordman.

...

「Meanwhile.」

Chen Yi had already chased them into the West Market. By now, most of the shops on the street were closed, and there were far fewer pedestrians.

In the cold silence, he heard footsteps behind him.

Without a second thought, he changed direction and headed off another way.

Finding a slightly higher eave, Chen Yi quickly suppressed the True Essence in his body and held his breath.

Soon, he saw a figure in black flash past with a swift Step Technique, heading straight for the Imprisonment Officers.

He frowned slightly. ’Who is this now?’

After a moment of thought, Chen Yi couldn’t guess the newcomer’s identity, so he had no choice but to follow again.

This time, however, he was even more cautious.

Before long, Chen Yi heard the sounds of fighting in the distance, interspersed with rising and falling shouts.

"The Imprisonment Department is apprehending a wanted criminal! All citizens, shut your doors and windows! Do not spectate!"

"Audacious villain, surrender now!"

"This old man advises you to let me go, lest you bring disaster upon yourselves!"

"In your dreams!"

Chen Yi paused. Spotting the trail of the black-clad figure who had passed earlier, he carefully hid on the eaves of a shop on the other side and watched from a distance.

He saw that the man in black who had killed Sun Erhu with a dart was being surrounded and attacked by several members of the Imprisonment Department.

Clearly, the old-sounding man in black was not exceptionally strong; his skill was only about on par with Fang Hongxiu’s.

His defeat was only a matter of time.

’Fortunately, the voice isn’t familiar. He’s probably not from the Marquis’s Mansion.’

’Then again, that’s not absolute. He could be someone connected to the Marquis’s Mansion.’

Just then, the battle over there reached its conclusion.

The long blade in Fang Hongxiu’s hand flicked the black-clad man’s weapon away, and she kicked him straight to the ground.

"I’d like to see just who is so bold as to kill someone right under the nose of my Imprisonment Department!"

"You..."

Just as the old man was about to speak, the other figure in black, who had been hiding on the other side, charged forward.

A Long Spear had appeared in his hands at some point.

The moment he leaped out, the spear’s tip thrust forward, aimed directly at the man in black surrounded by Fang Hongxiu and her team.

"How dare you!"

Instantly alert, Fang Hongxiu swung her blade to block him.

CLANG!

The blade and spear clashed.

The long blade was nearly knocked from Fang Hongxiu’s grasp, and she stumbled back several steps.

Seeing this, the surrounding Imprisonment Officers immediately raised their blades and swarmed him.

For a moment, no one paid any attention to the old man on the ground.

Watching the chaotic scene, Chen Yi began to understand.

’The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’

’His goal must be to kill that old man to prevent disaster from befalling the Xiao Family.’

Having made this judgment, Chen Yi stopped watching the fight and fixed his gaze on the man on the ground.

When he got a clear look at the old man’s exposed eyes, he thought, ’Just as I expected.’

The old man was staring blankly at the fight nearby, showing no intention of getting up to flee.

’He was probably planning to be captured by the Imprisonment Department all along, so he could frame the Xiao Family.’

’In that case, I can’t let him live.’

At this thought, Chen Yi glanced at the fighting group and, without hesitation, shot out from his hiding place.

The man in black who was being surrounded was the first to spot him. He swung his Long Spear in a wide arc to push back Fang Hongxiu and the others, about to strike first.

But in the next moment, he saw the black shadow dance like a butterfly, heading straight for the old man who was lingering on the ground.

"You..."

Before the old man could even get up to resist, the black shadow’s fist smashed into his head.

BANG.

With a muffled explosion, the man’s head instantly burst apart. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Even in the dim night, bits of red and white could be seen splattering everywhere.

"Huh?"

Seeing this, a trace of confusion flashed in the spear-wielding man’s eyes.

"The hell are you ’huh’-ing at? Run!"

Chen Yi heard his exclamation, cursed in a raspy voice, and ran toward the north side of the West Market.

The man in black came to his senses, retracted his spear, and fled in the opposite direction.

"Bastard!"

Fang Hongxiu, seeing this, was instantly enraged.

Without thinking, she immediately gave chase in the direction Chen Yi had fled.

"Let’s see if you can escape from my Imprisonment Department!"

Hearing this, Chen Yi couldn’t help but sneer. ’These Imprisonment Officers really know how to pick on the weak.’

’Then again, it makes sense. I wasn’t as fast as the other man in black.’

Glancing left and right, he saw a small alley ahead and immediately ducked into it.

Behind him, Fang Hongxiu’s icy eyes were locked onto him as she followed him in.

But before she could get a clear look at the situation in the alley, her vision went dark.

A large hand was chopping down toward her neck.

It was as if she had run into it herself; she couldn’t react at all. She felt a sharp pain in her neck, and her consciousness instantly faded.

Looking at Fang Hongxiu’s resentful expression, Chen Yi sneered slightly.

Immediately after, using the same method, he knocked out the rest of the pursuing Imprisonment Officers one by one.

Once everything was quiet, Chen Yi dusted off his hands and let out a long sigh.

’You have to admit, tonight was incredibly eventful.’

’While I’m not sure if that old man was arranged by Xiao Dongchen, I am certain that the man with the big spear who came later is definitely from the Xiao Family.’

’From this, it seems the old master and the others aren’t completely unprepared.’

Chen Yi muttered to himself and looked down at his clothes.

After confirming he hadn’t been spattered with any blood, he walked out of the alley, preparing to return to the Xiao Family.

But just as he entered another deep alley,

He stopped. After scanning his surroundings, he suddenly spoke:

"Is someone still following me?"

"Come on out."